Joint for and means of supporting a fluid-delivering pipe



June 24.1924. 1,498,968 v E. HILL JOINT FOR AND MEANS F SUPPORTING A'F'LUID DELIVERING PIPE Filed March ff.v 1921 v- INVENTOR' 'e/vfs r Patented June Z4, 1924.

ERNEST HILL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO'

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

JOINT FOR AND MEANS 0F SUPPORTING A FLUID-DELIVERING PIPE.

Application filed March 7, 1921. Serial No. 450,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and the State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Joint for and Means of Supporting a Fluid-Delivering Pipe, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a joint for and means of supporting a fluid delivering pipe and is designed for Vuse particularly with a revolving retort, which is positioned within the walls of a furnace and which is constructed to allow for expansion and contraction longitudinally of the furnace. In the use of vthe class of retort in conjunction with which this invention is designed for use, a fluid is conducted Vinto the retort during the use thereof for the purpose of displacing all oxygen in the retort and preserving the retort free from any oxidizing atmosphere. There is positioned in the pipe, or conduit, which conducts the fluid into the interior of the retort, a swivel jo-int.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a swivel joint in the pipe, or conduit, which will be simple in structure, econoinical of manufacture, durable and highly eiiicient in use.

IVith retorts of this 'class it is necessary that the swivel joint be maintained fluid tight at all stages of expansion or contraction of the retort. To provide a swivel joint in the pipe, or conduit, which will maintain a tight joint at all stages of eX- pansion or contraction of the retort, is another object of the invention.

Another object is the provision of means for mounting` the delivery pipe, or conduit, which will permit a vertical, pivotal movement thereof.

Another object is the 4provision of means for mounting said pipe, which are adjustable relatively to the retort with which used.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

rllhe invention consists iii the combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed. The invention will be best understood from the accompanying drawing which forms a part of an embodiment of this specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a central sectional View of the joint and adjusting means.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on sube stantially line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The invention is illustrated as applied to 4the usual rotatable retort 9, which is mount- ;ed in the furnace 7.

The retort 9 is provided with a head 10, which engages rollers 11 mounted on a shaft v12, which is journaled in bearings 13, securely fastened to a base or supporting member 14. The head 10 is fastened to the front, or forward end,

Aforming member 17, suitable packing 18,

serving to separate the members as shown vin ig. 2. Threaded into the member 17 is a pipe 19 having a reduced portion 20,

which projects through a sleeve 21, which is positioned in an embracing manner upon portions 19 and 20. As shown in Fig. 2, the sleeve 21 is provided with an elongated slot 22 in which rides a screw 23, which is threaded into the member 19. Embracing the reduced portion 2O and positioned within the sleeve 21 is a spiral spring 24, one end of which engages the eiidof sleeve 21 and the other end of which engages the shoulder of the member 19. The sleeve 21 is provided with a flange 25 in which are formed a series of openings 25, through which a bolt is projected for securing the sleeve to a supporting arm 26, which is angularly turned at the lower end and fastened to the member 14 by a suitable clip 27. It is evident that the position of the member 26 relatively longitudinally to the base 14 may be adjusted to the clip and the angularly turned portion. Communicating with the pipe 20 is a suitable pipe, or hose, 28, which is connected to some suitable source of fluid supply.

For some time before the retort is actually set in operation, the oxygen displacing Huid, such as nitrogen, is conducted into the retort to displace all oxygen bearing atmos pliere. The excess of nitrogen, which is conducted into the retort, isY allowed to escape through an opening provided in the rear of the retort. lVhen the re is started in the furnace it is especially necessary in carrying out some processes, such as the calorizing process, that the iow of nitrogen into the retort be uninterrupted and free from oxygen. As the retort becomes heated, expansion of the same takes place and forces the pipe conducting the fluid to move longitudinally with the retort. Similarly when a cooling takes place, a longitudinal 'movement of the retort will take place and it is necessary that'the delivery pipes move simultaneously with the retort. The pipe 15 being secured to the retort would cause'the swivel joint to open so as to admit oxygen in the pipe 19, also move in the same direction as the pipe 15. In theinvention when the expansion takes place the pipe 19 is allowed to move slidably in the sleeve 21, the rearward movement of the pipe 19 being'y caused by the thrust of the pipe 15. IVhen the retort cools and the pipeJ 15 moves in the opposite direction, the spiral spring 24: serves to maintain the member 17 in close relation to the member 16. The screwv 23 operating in the slot 22 serves to limit the slidable movement of the member 19 in the sleeve 21. If the .slot 22does not'give. the necessary freedomI of movement, the device may be adjusted, either by loosening theclip 27 orby changing the position of mounting of the upper end of arm 26' to a different opening 25.

It is` to be noted that the sleeve 21fis pivotallyy mounted on the arm 26 so that arocking movement ofthe pipes 15, 19,' and 20 maybe had. This is particularly necessary inasmuch as itis almost practically impossible'toconstruct a retort which will rotate centrally about its axes without any oscillatory movement. This arrangement of pivotal mounting assures, a fluidftight joint when oscillation ofthe. retort takes place. In thisspecification andthe claims Vappended hereto, the word rotatable wherever used is intended to; include the word roclablef inasmuch as the inventionlis as equally applicable to-a rocking re'tort as to a rotating retort.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a rotatable retort, a fluidy delivery pipe for said retort comprising two sections, a support for said pipe permitting longitudinal movement thereof upon` expansion and contraction of said retort, and resilient means on said support for maintaining a. leak proof-'joint between said sections.

2. In combinationy with a rotatable retort, a fluid delivery pipe for said retort comprising two sections one of which is rotatable with said retort, a support for said pipe permitting movement thereof in a longitudinal direction upon expansion and contraction of said retortv and securing'the other section against rotation, and resilient means on said support for holding said Vnon-rotatable section in abutting engagement with the first to maintaina tight joint:

3. In combination with arotatable retort, a fluid delivery pipe for said retort extending along 'the axis ofrotation of said retort comprising two sections'onel of which is secured to said retort and rotates therewith, a pivoted'r support for said pipe permitting movement thereof inl a longitudinal direction upon .expansion and contraction of said retort andsecuring the other-section against rotation, and resilient 'means on said support for holdin-g said non-rotatable section in abutting engagement with. the first to maintain a leak proof oint..

In testimony whereof, I have signed the foregoing this 3rd dayof March, 1921.

ERNEST HILL. 

